A Fair Plight
by Jayden Momochi
Summary: Another Kankurou one shot.


_Not sure how I feel about this one. Hm._

* * *

"Temari?" A young looking girl glanced up, her head cocked, fiery locks falling into her eyes causing her to blink and push them out of the way with her fingertips.

"Temari – chan, I do not think I can go down there. I'll make a fool of myself."

The older blonde smiled and patted her arm reassuringly. "Nonsense Ryoma, you'll be fine. My brothers will take to you no sweat."

Ryoma admired Temari's confidence and out spoken nature. At times, Ryoma wished she were a bit more like Temari.

"I don't know Tem – chan, Kankurou seems kind of brash and Gaara seems aloof. But you do know them best." Ryoma looked up into Temari's dark grey eyes, her own filled with doubt.

Temari, however, just laughed. Her laugh was a sweet sound that Ryoma enjoyed listening to and wished Temari would laugh more often.

"Temari, you really should laugh more often. It is such a sweet sound." Ryoma's wide innocent eyes blinked sincerely.

Temari, still in a fit of giggles just shook her head. "You'll make me blush. C'mon let's go down. I bet you breakfast is waiting."

"Pancakes I hope. Light and fluffy, with syrup." Ryoma smiled and patted her empty belly which rumbled with affirmation.

Temari just giggled and took the girl by the hand and took off down the hall, down the stairs and almost collided with the grandfather clock by just barely making the turn into the kitchen.

Ryoma's hand flew to her mouth as she tried to stifle a giggle. Kankurou was in the kitchen flipping flapjacks and dancing about the room to music only his ears could hear. Gaara was no where to be seen. Ryoma looked away as she bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"Tem – chan, do you think it is a good idea to let Kankurou cook? He may just very well burn the pancakes." Ryoma had lowered her voice to a whisper as her hand once again covered her mouth, this time to hide a yawn.

Temari shook her blonde locks and giggled. "Burnt or not burnt, I'm famished. Shall we proceed?"

With a shy smile Ryoma nodded and followed after Temari.

"Kankurou, have you seen Gaara?"

The older boy nearly jumped out of his skin as he turned unsteadily upon his heels. His hand landed upon the griddle and with a hiss nursed his injured limb. Ryoma was tempted to fix it, bandage it, but by the time she had nursed her own courage Gaara made his way to the table, head propped up in his hands.

"Temari, I'm hungry." He stated matter – of – factly aiming a pointed look in her direction, missing Ryoma altogether.

Kankurou grumbled still nursing his hand as he turned around to transport the pancakes from the griddle to a plate. Ryoma settled herself into a chair across from Gaara in the middle of Temari and Kankurou. Her stomach rumbled again but she was quick to clamp her arms about her middle; however, the damage was done. All three sand siblings looked at her and blinked. Temari tried hard not to laugh, even going out of her way to turn around, Gaara smirked shaking his head as he helped himself to pancakes and Kankurou just looked at her in astonishment.

"Huh." Was all he could manage. Ryoma, who was rubbing the sleep from her eyes, was not paying attention until the first three pancakes were dropped onto her plate.

"Temari, were you planning on telling us we had a guest?" Kankurou broke the silence as he tried to form a sentence between bites of pancake. Ryoma giggled and occupied herself with her pancake, dousing it in butter and syrup. Gaara watched in slight amazement as the girl packed away calorie after calorie and still managed to be hungry. He looked down at his own plate and huffed.

"I would have dear brother. If I had known myself she was coming. Ryoma here dropped in late last night upon my window sill. Claims to be running from some Jounin elites." Temari shrugged and finished off her morning meal. Ryoma smiled softly and nodded. She pushed back her chair and started clearing plates. Temari made a move to help her, but Ryoma just swatted her hand away and stuck out her tongue.

"Kankurou – sama?" Ryoma peered into the bathroom, watching Kankuro decorate his features with a brush and purple ooze. He only murmured and stopped once to motion her in with the crook of his finger. She sat on the edge of the counter and watched him intently and was once attacked with the paint brush to her nose. She peered down upon herself crossed eyed trying to make sense of what just happened. Kankurou laughed and shook his head. She tried glaring at him but ended up laughing as she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. He splashed more paint onto her cheeks and took off like a fire cracker out of the bathroom, Ryoma hot on his heels.

They lay, panting outside in the warm summer air, grinning like fools and trying to catch a breath. She was curled up next to him as he was stretched out. When he stretched she could feel his muscles contract and his heart beat decrease. She stifled a yawn and rubbed her eyes, consequently rubbing some of the Kabuki paint onto her hands. She ran her fingers through her hair, highlighting golden locks with purple streaks. Ryoma yawned and stretched.

"Perhaps we should head in?"

The light was fading and no matter how hard she tried, Ryoma could not keep her eyes open. She was curled up at the far end of the couch, Temari at the other end, Kankurou in an armchair feet propped up on a pouf eyes closed. Gaara on the other hand was propped up at the window sill gazing silently out the window, face impassive. Ryoma blinked and found herself slipping off the couch, chin resting on her chest as she slouched forward, right leg and arm slung over the couch, left leg bent at the knee, left arm flopped across her forehead.

"How troublesome." She countered in the attempt to right herself again. Temari looked at her with a funny expression before turning away. Ryoma just tilted her head and shrugged. A big grandfather clocked chimed eleven o'clock, two hours of doing nothing but staring lifelessly at the fire place or gazing robotically at the TV. Ryoma hiccupped and smiled sheepishly at Gaara who gave her a funny look. He just shook his head, his green eyes rolling once in their sockets as she giggled.

"Eureka!" She rolled off the couch and padded her way into the kitchen. Banging pots and pans, rummaging through the pantry she finally found what she wanted – a bag of double stuffed marshmallows and four poker sticks. Padding back into the living room, Ryoma passed out poker sticks jammed three marshmallows each to the sand sibs before settling herself in front of the fire, metal stick out in front of her like a fishing pole.

She was fishing for s'mores.

Temari, with a mischievous grin plopped down next to her dark haired friend her own marshmallow roaster out in front of her. The boys just shot each other looks and sighed. They dragged themselves from their spots and sat unceremoniously in front of the blaze - head in their hands. Ryoma popped a marshmallow into Kankurou's mouth causing him to mumbled and pull sticky gobs of marshmallow from the corners of his mouth. Ryoma just grinned, flashing a peace sign – her work was done. No sooner had she settled on roasting her second marshmallow when a gooey mess was popped into her own mouth, decorating her nose and cheeks. She tackled him, pinning him beneath her, holding a marshmallow precariously close to his nose, a smirk flickered across her face before she was over turned, laying flat on her back, two marshmallows occupying her masticating cavity. She glared at him, or at least attempted to make herself look formidable with puffed out cheeks and marshmallow spread dotting her nose. Kankurou had to turn away, shaking with laughter as he tried to keep her pinned. She swallowed, taking the opportunity to once again pin him.

"Ha. What now my lovely puppet master?"

He looked up at her and smirked, "You really want to know?"

Ryoma grinned showing pearly whites and marshmallow.

"Ew." Kankurou wrinkled his nose in contempt as she giggled.

"I really don't want to know." Temari cocked her head, arms folded in front of her chest and blinked. She was smirking, eyebrow cocked as she watched the two. Gaara watched them indifferently, shaking his head slowly before resuming his marshmallow roasting. Ryoma curled upon his chest and nodded off.

"Hmpf. Damn woman. What am I, her babysitter?"

Ryoma, in deep slumber, just smiled.


End file.
